Why I do what I do….

I’m finally sitting down to organize my thoughts and share the amazing 9 days we spent in Orlando. From an extended family vacation to Disney World to our Shaklee Live Global Conference in Orlando, my heart is so full and I feel very grateful for my family and for living a life that I love. But, that wasn’t always the case. I get asked all the time-quite skeptically a lot of times-about why I left my very successful fashion career and decided to start my own home business. This is the story, my why…..

In 1997, when I was 25 years old, I went to work a company that I would spend the next 17 years at (yes, 17!). I was dedicated, ambitious, competitive, and had this crazy “work ethic”. For the next 12 years, I worked 40-50 hours a week (not including travel), made the sacrifices so many of us all have made to advance our careers, and was completely dedicated to this job and this company without much appreciation. And then I had my daughter. And my priorities changed. My job was still important to me, but so was my family.

I never thought about staying home after Isabella was born because, quite frankly, it wasn’t an option. My job was becoming increasingly more demanding-at one point I was on a plane every week-and I was working in a toxic environment. I was miserable and I felt trapped. I had no idea what I was going to do, but what I did know was that there was no way I wanted to do what I was doing for the next 30 years. What I wanted was to have flexibility, do something that I felt good about, and enjoy my life. There was no doubt that I had to make a change, but I had no idea where to start. I desperately needed a “Plan B”

A friend of mine introduced me to Shaklee because I was looking for green cleaning products for my home. They were the best cleaning products I had ever used. At this point, I didn’t even know there was a business. We began using more products and researching the company. I was blown away by the amount of scientific research, quality testing, and the integrity of this company. If you’d like to know more about why Shaklee is different, takes few minute and watch this short video : The Shaklee Difference

Olympic Athletes that only trust Shaklee products for purity and performance-live on stage and streaming live from Rio, Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly telling their story at conference and why they use Shaklee nutrition in space

I was telling everyone I knew about these amazing products I had found and the difference they had made in our lives. Bill and I decided to take a look at the business…could this be our Plan B? We very quickly decided that this was something we wanted to be a part of. So we decided to start our Shaklee Business very part-time. Fast forward 2 1/2 years…job got worse, hours got worse, I was traveling more, work environment was horrible. And then, on December 18th-7 days before Christmas-I lost my job. After 17 years. I quickly decided I never wanted to be in that position again and left the fashion industry full-time. I was devastated at the time, but I can say that it was the best thing that ever could have happened.

What I have found at Shaklee is the complete opposite of my previous career. I get to help people every day with their health and to start businesses of their own. For a long time, I was hesitant to talk about my Shaklee business to a lot of people. I was afraid of what people might think of me, that they may judge me for choosing a career in direct sales, that they may think I was crazy, or that they thought I was trying to sell them something. Everyone knows “that person”-you know the one. The one you run away from when you see coming. But, I was none of those things. I was still me. I just had found a company with products that had changed my family’s health and a business that allowed me to live life on my own terms, to have the flexibility I so wanted and needed, to work for a company with integrity and with a mission to literally make an impact on the world , and to work with the most AMAZING community of people I have ever met.

And we’ve earned some nice “perks” along the way-an all expense paid trip for our family to Los Cabos, a monthly car payment (which us city folk use for a Metro card!), and an all expense paid trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley that happens to coincide with our 10th Anniversary! As a bonus, I get to work with my husband to build something together for ourselves and our daughter.

I’ve decided to share all of this and stand proud of what we are doing because I think there are a lot of people out there like us. People who want a change, more flexibility, better work life balance. Who need to get healthier and make more money. I’m not saying you should go out and quit your job to have a full-time Shaklee business. The best part is that this business can be part-time, full-time, or whenever it fits into your life. You are in control. Whether you are looking for a plan B like we were, or would just like to be able to earn some additional monthly income, it can be whatever you want it to be.

We were blown away to see our family and our story featured in the new Shaklee Catalog! We hope that it helps people to know that there are other options out there.

So exciting to be recognized for all of your hard work! Congratulations to everyone on our team and extended team!

6 days agoby thebrooklynmomI tend to go a tad overboard....10 footer this year. Hubs was less than happy trying to get it home and getting it to stand up. But isn’t it beautiful? There’s something about sitting in front of a lighted Christmas tree that brings me a sense of calm and peacefulness...and can’t we all use a little of that this time of year. #christmas2017#nycchristmas#christmastree

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Hi, I’m Vanessa and welcome to my blog! I live in Downtown Brooklyn with my husband Bill and 6 year old daughter Isabella. A little about me and why I started this blog: I had built a successful career in the Fashion Industry for almost 20 years. I worked full time hours and traveled a lot. After my daughter was born, I began to realize more and more that this was not how I wanted to live my life. I wanted to do something with more flexibility that would allow me to spend more time with my family. I am now a Stay at Home Mom since December 2013 (I still can’t believe it sometimes!), with my own business as a natural health and wellness consultant and I’ve never been happier!

I am passionate about sharing with other moms easy ways they can make their families and their homes just a little healthier and greener. Here is where I share recipes and ways to get kids to eat healthier, my favorite healthy living tips, day to day life as a mom, and of course, all things Brooklyn. Thanks so much for visiting!